The Most Effective Job Search

Career Corner: A Monthly Executive Search Firm News Article Series.

The Most Effective Job SearchMay 1st, 2011

Looking for a job, but not having any luck finding one? Many people tend to go about their job search in the wrong way, making it even more difficult than it already is. The majority of people today simply sign on to their computers, and search the job boards in hopes that they will find jobs that match their resumes to a tee. One of the least effective ways to get noticed is just submitting a resume through random job boards online. This is because so many people do this every day and it is extremely important to find a way to differentiate oneself from the rest of the candidates and job seekers.

What to Do and Where to Go

A more direct approach is needed for people trying to get their foot in the door with a company of their liking. Employer’s websites are one of the best places to visit. As The Wall Street Journal reported, “To make one hire, recruiters wade through more than six times as many applications from job boards than they do from their own websites, according to an analysis of hiring data by Jobs2web Inc., which helps companies track the sources of applicants and hires.” Companies have to look through an overwhelming amount of applications from the job boards compared to the much less amount of job hunters who go directly to the company’s website.

Although this is the case, there are other sites that will take candidates directly to the company’s website to apply. Some career sites and job search engine sites direct the applicant straight to the employer/company database. Even social media sites like Facebook.com and LinkedIn.com have roughly “116 applicants for every one that was hired,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Applying through the Internet in general makes people’s chances of getting noticed and in for an interview much slimmer.

The Best Option

Feeling like a needle in a haystack is not always the best confidence booster. Making sure that your resume is up-to-date and that it highlights all of your skills and abilities in your area of expertise can only help. One of the best ways to find a job and to beat the competition is through networking and referrals. As The Wall Street Journal also states, “For job seekers, getting a referral from an employee is far and away the best way to get noticed by a recruiter…CareerXroads found that recruiters made one hire for about every 10 referrals they received.” Having someone to recommend a candidate’s work ethic and abilities is far more convincing than solely screening candidates’ resumes over the Internet.

By restarting your job search and focusing on company websites and using recruiters and spending less time on the job boards and other random sites, people will tend to see an increase in responses. This, of course, is generally speaking and every person’s case will differ. Networking can be done anywhere at any time and can be extremely valuable in the long run.